Newsletter
- Arizona for Abortion Access – Ballot Initiative Update
- Cornucopia – (THIS WEEKEND), Flagstaff Community Market, Tuba City Outdoor Market & more
- The City of Flagstaff – Special Election – 11/7
- Election Workers – Doing the Hard Work of Democracy
- Media Matters – We All Get So Many Emails – A Media Roundup
- Registering Future Voters on College & High School Campuses
- We’re out and about in the community, thanks to our donors!
- Upcoming Events : Coconino County Democratic Party
Thank you to the 9th Navajo Nation President, Jonathan Nez,
for joining us this past Saturday at our Monthly Action meeting.
Arizona for Abortion Access – Ballot Initiative Update
We will soon have the Arizona for Abortion Access ballot initiative in hand and ready for circulation. Follow us on our social media channels for updates. Petition circulators will be required to complete a training in order to gather signatures. There are Zoom trainings throughout the week and we will be hosting trainings as well. Our calendar has current trainings and we will be updating it regularly.
We will be acting as a hub for petition pick-up, drop-off and notarization. If you are a notary and able to assist, please email us. If you would like to help out with office hours and handing out petitions, please let us know. We foresee this being an exceptionally busy time and are thankful for any assistance that you can chip in. Help us get 500,000 by July 2024, and protect the right to abortion access in AZ. This initiative making it on the 2024 ballot is key to us turning out the vote and wining all races from re-electing Biden to flipping our legislature.
Mark your calendars for the Abortion Access Initiative Event on October 14, following our Monthly Action Meeting.
Two of our partners for the Arizona for Abortion Access ballot initiative, Susan Shapiro (Indivisible NAZ & Flagstaff Abortion Alliance) and Jasmine Viehe (Flagstaff Abortion Alliance) updating the CC Dems Saturday Action Meeting at the Murdoch Community Center.
Cornucopia – (THIS WEEKEND), Flagstaff Community Market, Tuba City Outdoor Market & more
- The Cornucopia Fall Festival is this weekend! We’re almost certain to have the Arizona for Abortion Access petition in time for this event and we will be busy! We’re seeking two more volunteers to fill the schedule on Saturday from 2-6pm. Sign up for a shift here. You must take the training if you plan to help us circulate the Arizona for Abortion Access (AAA) petition at the event.
- The Coconino County Democrats are at the Flagstaff Community Farmer’s Market every Sunday, from 8:00 am until noon. Stop by and visit us or sign up to join the team. We are registering new voters, getting candidate nomination petitions signed, and talking about Democratic Party values. It’s a great way to meet your community and help us swing Arizona blue in 2024! Sign up for a shift here.
- Join us in Tuba City for the weekly Outdoor Market. Email Deydrek Scott for more information.
The City of Flagstaff – Special Election – 11/7
- This is a Ballot-by-Mail Election
- The Last Day to Register to vote for this election is
- October 10, 2023
- A voter information booklet will be mailed in September
- Ballots will be mailed October 11th and must be returned and received by November 7th
The City Charter was created in 1958 with a vote of the Citizens of Flagstaff. It has been amended 8 times by the citizens with the last vote to amend in 2015. The 19 amendments to the Charter are being referred to the voters by the Flagstaff City Council from recommendation of an internal committee of the staff. No citizens were involved in this process though they have been in the past.
There are 20 questions on the ballot. Each one will require a “YES” or “NO” vote. The first 19 questions have to do with amending the City Charter. The 20th question is Proposition 480, which has been referred to the voters of Flagstaff by petition. Proposition 480 approves (“YES” vote) or denies (“NO” vote) the City of Flagstaff rezoning of 98 acres adjacent to Fort Tuthill, allowing the building of a new hospital and ambulatory center (outpatient services).
There are several important issues that we will be asked to vote on and we encourage you to review the full text of the Charter Amendments here. You can also read a brief summary of each amendment here.
Be an informed voter!
Election Workers – Doing the Hard Work of Democracy
The City of Flagstaff is holding a special election on November 7, 2023 (read more in the section below). This is a by-mail election only, with no physical polling places. The County Elections Department still needs workers to receive ballots, verify signatures, and tabulate votes. If you have not participated in carrying out elections before, this is a great opportunity to get into the system and see our democracy from the inside.
To apply, visit the Coconino County Elections website here:
https://www.coconino.az.gov/FormCenter/Elections-Forms-5/Election-Day-Election-Board-Worker-Appli-36
>Select “I can work multiple days during election cycles on tabulation & special boards” to be part of ballot receiving, verification, and tabulation. You can check other boxes to apply to be a poll worker in future elections (that is, in 2024!) when there will be numerous vote centers and precinct polling places across the county. Your fellow voters will thank you!
Media Matters – We All Get So Many Emails – A Media Roundup
We continue with our series of short pieces in this newsletter, sharing links to media sources that some of our leaders and volunteers find useful in filtering the noise.
This edition’s submission is by Nancy Branham. Nancy is the CC Dems 1st Vice Chair, PC & expert sign maker.
I know we can all identify with the title above!!! That being said, volunteers from the Coconino County Democrats have been sending an amazingly informative NEWSLETTER the first and third Wednesday of each month since March of this year. A BIG THANKS TO ALL THOSE VOLUNTEERS.
Starting in June the Newsletter has included a regular section titled “Media Matters”. Each newsletter has featured an article from one of our members about a blog, or book, or column that has made a positive impression. I reviewed these posts this morning and instead of writing a new one I would like to give you the links to the seven media outlets we have featured.
Heather Cox Richardson – Letters from an American – Shared by Laura Huenneke
Writings by Economist Paul Krugman – Shared by Harriet Young
Washington Post Columnist Phillip Bump – Shared by Linda Guarino
Civil Discourse – Joyce Vance – Shared by Ann Heitland
Statewide Politics and News – Arizona Agenda – Shared by Marilyn Weisman
Indian Country Today – Digital and Broadcast Journalism -Shared by Laura Huenneke
Robert Reich – Daily Newsletter & YouTube Channel – Shared by Monique Fresquez
We can’t read everything but I encourage you to follow at least two of these outlets. Most of them ask for a small subscription donation which is always well worth it. We must stay informed with accurate information if we are going to win in 2024 and beyond.
Registering Future Voters on College & High School Campuses
Nearly seven-in-ten voters under 30 (68%) supported Democratic candidates in 2022
-Pew Research Center, July 2023
With the Fall 2023 semester underway, we are continuing our efforts to register voters in our high schools, Coconino Community College and at Northern Arizona University. Here are a few ways to help register young voters on campuses:
- We are on CCC’s campus every Wednesday from 11AM-2PM. If you are interested in signing-up for a shift, do so via this link and we will reach out with additional information.
- Coco Dems are excited to be supporting local high school activists. There are a few more trainings in September, click here to register. If you are, or know of any, civic minded high school students or teachers who might be interested in volunteering, please contact us.